Expat wanderer

“I Joined the Navy Because of the Blue Angels”

One of our recent house guests was here visiting when it was announced that the 2013 Blue Angel season was cancelled. It was a stunning blow to the Pensacola community – we ALL love the booming roar of those jets screeching over our houses when they practice. All heads look up. It might sound annoying, all that noise, but it isn’t – it’s exciting! We’re proud to be home to the Blue Angels.

“You know, I joined the navy because of the Blue Angels,” he said.

No. I didn’t know that.

He saw them when he was a boy, living in Idaho (yearning to escape Idaho) and they ignited his imagination. He didn’t need to BE a Blue Angel, but he wanted to be a part of what they were a part of.

When cutting budgets, we all gotta do what we gotta do. Budget cuts suck, no matter what level you are on. But losing a Blue Angel season – ouch! That really hurts!

A lot of community relations stuff hits the chopping block when the budget goes. At Mat’s base they are cutting first responder hours (furloughs) rather than give up the Armed Forces Day and 4th of July bashes. This means if your house is robbed on base you can come in and file a report for the insurance company. No cop will come unless there is an intruder and no investigation will be done. Oh and there is no overtime for first responders either. I’m sorry but I don’t understand those priorities.

That I don’t know. On another note, the state patrol has handed off accident investigations to some counties. The local municipalities have had to make their own cuts so unless the accident involves personal injury, they aren’t responding to those either.

I think that has been coming for a while. I think that’s the way it is in several states and counties, even without sequestration budget cuts. In poor little Escambia County, the drop in property tax revenues hit the state and county hard, and budgets are cut, and then cut again. One of the big cuts was in the library system (gasp). I’ve always thought of the libraries as a refuge, not only for the reader, but for the poor, and those who want to get ahead but have few resources. They also offer computer access to those who don’t otherwise have it.